Miss America: Behind the Crown

Ray Bumatai's performance as Nuu. Carolyn Sapp is just that...a sap. 5/10

This was a made-for-TV movie starring 1992 Miss America Carolyn Sapp playing herself, as she tells the story of the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her tough football player boyfriend.

It was courageous of her to do this, as it was not common back then for celebrities to reveal sordid details of their personal lives, as it is today.

However, I have to report, that Miss Sapp is the worst actress in the world, even playing herself ! The director must have been tearing his hair out, trying to get a decent line reading out of her. She sounded like a first grader reading out of a Dick, Jane, and Sally book.

An interesting aspect of this film is seeing how the pageant works. But I found it unrealistic, that in the story they show all the pageant officials slobbering over Miss Sapp, as if she were the most magnificent contestant ever in the whole history of the Pageant. Well, she was not any more beautiful than the other winners, and without the makeup and gowns, she was not glamorous looking at all.

It is not surprising that this telemovie was never shown on TV again, nor is it available on video or DVD.

This movie was filmed in Fort Myers and Naples, FL. I was an extra in the cast that played a photographer (one of many). My big scene is at the very end when Miss America in coming down the escalator. I'm the first guy on the right in a suit with a camera (just like real life photographers, huh?).

I was in several scenes and you'd need a stopwatch to calculate my "face" time. Waited around 16 hours ($4.50 per hour) for about 12 seconds on the screen. Oh well I did it for fun anyway! Carolyn is a beautiful women with a great personality but I think it's safe to say her acting abilities were somewhat limited. She worked hard and tried hard but the end result spoke for itself. I think her motivation was getting her story out but, unfortunately it was just a made for TV movie after all!

I'm a little partial as I was assistant hair and makeup artist to my favorite people again, cast and crew were fabulous Carolyn is sweetheart did a great job on her own story! Great work from the whole team !

i saw this movie and really loved it ..... carolyn sapp proved she is not only a talented pageant winner but is a triple threat. she sings, dances, and acts her way into your heart... although this was a made for tv movie.... which usually gets little or no kudos( we have to remember that 'BRIAN'S SONG' was also a made for tv movie)..give this film a go, if for nothing more than to help anyone who has suffered abuse of any kind... i look forward to more work out of ms. sapp and know that whatever she does it will be great. film critic,